1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the fields of skin care and more particularly, it relates to a device and method for treating acne, removing fine wrinkles and clearing skin.
2. Description of Related Art
Acne affects more than 90% of all adolescents, nearly 50% of all adult women and 25% of all adults. One of the main causes of acne is improper drainage of the hair follicle caused by a plug of dead cells or dirt that trap oil and bacteria. The hair follicle opening is approximately 50 μm to about 100 μm in diameter. The opening of any other pore on the skin is substantially smaller. In particular, the opening of a sweat pore is less than about 30 μm in diameter.
There are a variety of ways to treat acne. Benzoyl Peroxide is one of the most commonly used ingredients in over-the-counter treatments, and it can be very effective in treating mild cases of non-inflammatory acne. It is safe for children as well as adults, and may be combined with other topical or oral treatments. For patients who suffer from moderate to severe acne, doctors may prescribe a combination of topical remedies and oral antibiotics. The most common oral medications used to treat acne are tetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline and erythromycin.
Alternatives to medication include UV light radiation, laser treatment, or abrasion. Most of these systems are large and in most cases require professional treatment U.S. Pat. No. 6,635,075 by Li et al. describes a heating device that can also be used to treat acne. The device described in therein uses a heater and temperature sensor to maintain a constant temperature surface that can be applied to skin. In order to prevent burns during the long application time (minutes), the maximum temperature allowed is 62° C. The long treatment time makes this device impractical for normal acne treatment A need exists for a compact device that can be used effectively and quickly to treat acne. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.